Area 2 ALT Program

Green Acres Focused on Standards

It is a new year, and Green Acres Elementary teachers know what their focus is – teach the standards.  Move over Flat Stanley!

It is time to meet Stanley Standard who is alive and well at Green Acres.  Kindergarten teacher Janet Blair uses this puppet when she introduces a standard to her students.  He is also around when she wants her students to “talk the talk” about the learning occurring because of the standard. 

Do you see the little postage-size picture of Stanley next to the standard?  Just another reminder that Stanley wants Ms. Blair’s students to know what is important to learn.  Not only do they hear about the standards being taught, but Stanley is there to visually remind them.  Flat Stanley may travel the world, but Stanley Standard has a permanent home in Ms. Blair’s classroom.

Standard boards are evident in all of the classrooms at Green Acres.  Check out the boards in Ms. Giles’s Fifth Grade.  Students see samples of work showing what exceeds, meets, or approaches the standard.  Teacher comments are evident on the students’ work.  The standard, the task, and the rubric complete the board. 

Submitted by: Gloria King

Fair Oaks Ideas for Improving Spelling

When it comes to Spelling, teachers at Fair Oaks Elementary have many ideas to add to any educator's bag of tricks.   They are committed to make a difference in the life of their students and we want to share their passion.

Recently, Damaris Cortes and Gloria King meet with teachers at Fair Oaks Elementary to answer Sitton Spelling questions and share ideas for spelling centers.  It was a true "give and take."  The teachers shared many wonderful ideas from activities they have implemented in their classrooms.  Here are a few that involve visual-kinesthetic approach.

Bounce the ball as you spell a word.  Students work in pairs.  Each student takes a turn with a word.

Clap/Snap: Clap your hands as you come to a consonant and snap your fingers when you come to a vowel.  Example: said= s (clap), a (snap), i (snap), , d (clap)

Dance the Letter- Students stand and raise or lower their arms depending on the letters in the word as they spell.  Example: flip- f (hands above head), l-(hands above head), i (hands on hip, and tap their head to show the period above the letter), p (touch their feet to show lower case p)

Letter on Tray- Use cookie trays and letter tiles with magnets on the back, or just have the letters print out on card stock paper and cut them out 

Donald Graves, one of the best researchers of spelling and writing instruction points out the following:

Practices Which Help Poor Spellers

• Learn how to sense when words are misspelled.  Estimate
• Learn how to use a spelling dictionary
• Use meaning as an ally
• Refer to lists for high-frequency words often misspelled
• Know how to consult before passing in a final draft

Practices Which Hurt Poor Spellers

• Red-lined first drafts
• Assistance given out of context
• Teacher is the only audience
• Skills instruction more important thatn writing

Other resources shared by Fair Oaks Elementary teachers:

• Website with a great variety of activities and ideas for many subject areas:
  • Carl's Corner
• Book: Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom, by Susan Winebrenner
• Use games like Boggle, Scrabble, etc to have students practice spelling

Submitted by: Gloria King